Store enclosure



March 2, 1 B. A. PETERSOIN STORE ENCLOSURE Filed May 21 m w m w.

B. A. PETERSON ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 2, 1954 fittest oment; 'i .t

This invention relates to. a collapsible partition structure to be erected on the inside of stores and analogous locations to form an enclosure around a door or delivery opening so that goods may be delivered outside of the usual business hours without permitting thedelivery crew to gain access to the interior of the store or the store proper. Such partitions .are found in patents to C. O. Sherrill No. 1,924,963 and to Alfred G. PetersonNos. 2,105,095 and 2,219,272, and the present invention may be considered an improvement over such structures.

The portable partitions or enclosures of the Sherrill type and also the types disclosed in patents issued to Alfred G. Peterson provide a barrier against admission or entrance to thestore proper. However, they have not been found completely satisfactory because of costs, perplexity of structure for handling and failure to prevent undiscovered passage beyond such vestibule.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple enclosure at a reduced cost, susceptible of easy installation, and removable by a single individual due to its construction and light weight.-

It is a further objectof the invention to provide a structure which can be readily removed and stored and affords complete access tothe area enclosed.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in view of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a collapsible partition embodying the features of the present invention shown installed on the inside of a store door;

Fig. 2 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale showing the method of attaching the frame of the partition to the store wall;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale showing the use of the T-shape rod to connect the partition to the floor;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale showing the method of connecting bracing elements of the frame to the floor of the store;

Fig. 5 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale of the construction of the forward corners of the supporting frame of the partition,

Fig. 6 is a detailed view showing a modified arrangement of the means of fixing the structure to the floor; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale showing the eye-bolt fastening means and related .arefastenedtothe posts l5, l6,

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idpplication May 21, 1946, Serial N0. 671,250. .3 Claims. (o1. 2 0-1.6)

- .2 parts of themodifled arrangement disclosed in Figs, .7 Referring to the drawinga a portion of the wall ID of a store has a doorlopenin'g with doorsf'l'l mounted therein; The partition properpreferably has walls offab'r'icQsuh as heavyduck or canvas, the side walls being. indicated at 12 and I3 and the end wall being indicated at. The supporting framework. "comprises front posts l5 and I6 which "at their upper ends are supported by attachmentsto the wall lll' bya bracket" H, the details of which areshbw'n'in Fig. 2. Posts I5 and I6 have a flattenedperforated upp r extremity for reception in thebifurcatd extremity for an upper horizontal .conne'ctingmember l8 which is riveted theietoQlThe' horiaontal'memher. I8 connectsposts' l5fa'nd [Band is .s'ofdesigned torest flatlyagainst the wall 1.0.

' The frame is attached ,toiwall 10- by means of a bracket I1 riveted to a'metal strap around the posts I5 and [6. thereby preventing movement of the forward portion of the framework. inany direction. The rear portion of the enelosureisjsupported by posts [9 and Y20 which attheir'guPDfir ends project through the corners of the canvas covering and are anchored in the floor by plates 2|.

,Chains or analogous members 22' extend along the. bottomedges of thefabric side walls and I9, and 20 to 'preventlifting offsaid edges... v

The top and rear napsorpaneis 23 'and 14 are provided with a fastening element preferably of the slide fastening or zipper type 24 to be opened and closed by a slide element having a tab 25 and, if desired, provided with one or more auxiliary links. It will be noted that the slide fastener extends down the center of the top panel 23 and also down the entire length of the rear panel l4 closing and securely fastening the same by means of looking or attaching tab 25 to member 28.

The two sections of the rear panel I have a pair of brace chains or analogous members 22 sewn in the hems and these are fastened together when the said panel has been closed and locked down through the use of a securing member 28. The details of this connection are more clearly indicated in Fig. 3 being by means of an element 28 having a T-shaped end which is inserted through the ends of the chains 22 and a link on tab 25 into the floor plate 29 and then turned at right angles. The rod is securely fas-i tened to a ring attached to rear post 20 by a snap hook 30. Said ring is placed at a point on post l9 and inserted through eye of the pin and v securely fastened to post 20 by a snap hook.

The front portion of panel 23 is secur'd to the wall by means of sliding rings 32 over the cross What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible partition structure adapted to be mounted upon a supporting surface to enclose a portion of a room adjacent an outside entrance and comprising side, rear and top walls of flexible material, a removable corner post at the juncture between each side and rear wall, each post having its lower extremity secured to said supporting surface, fiexiblemembers secured to the lower extremities of said side and rear walls and to said corner posts for maintaining the lower portions of said side and rear walls taut toprevent entrance therebeneath, a slide fastener ineluding a slide member extending longitudinally member I8 thereby allowing the utter panel,

when divided, to be gathered and rolled with the balance of the structure to either side of the door I l.

A m an e a r esem s n spm db a crescent shaped opening- 33 in panel l2. This opening is securely closed when not in us by means of a slidefa'stening eleinnt of the type described above using twoslideelements which converge at the center point 3} and are there fastened by th'e use of a padlo'ck 35 on the inside of the enclosure; c c

The rear b 58: wan 2 ien in ish D iF QHV h a l ensi 3 P pa .6 1 b anadjufstable guy elementtfi hooked into floor plate 3'! and tightened by turnbuckle 38. 7

Through theuse of the above-described invacat n. e. del ve ma jha ns th y the store, may deposit his merchandise during times when the store isclosed, retire and lockthe door. Laterthe store operator may enter ihthe same manner and remove u e iock tr at the crescent shaped opening fa iid have access to the store properwherehe map-saw the entire partition by'sliding forward thefast 'ii'ing member, dividi f the c o u i w th parts, em v n t supporting frame and r'ollingthe entire closure into compact bundle to be stored on each side of the doorway I? will Q t0 5? kflld i th hi that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isshownin the drawing and described in the 'spe c ification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

o f the top wall and from top to bottom of the rear wall to permit the structure to be separated into two parts for storage, and a rigid fastening member detachably connected with the siipporting surface andlocking the slide member of the slide fastener and the flexible member conlict'd to the rear wall to the supporting surface.

2. Collapsible partition structure as set forth in claim 1 where said rigid fastening member comprises an eye-bolt passing through a link connected to the slide member 'of the slide fastener and through the flexible member secured to the rear wall, an extremity of said eye-bolt engaging said supporting surface, and locking means passing through the eye 'of said eye-bolt.

3. Collapsible partitioh structure as set forth in claim 2 where the locking means passing through the eye of said eye-bolt comprises a flexible member having the extremities thereof detachably secured to the corner posts associated with the rear wall of said partition structure.

BERGER A. PETERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS N mber. N me a a .l i ,,3 fiu l aqk. O t 9 2,052,123 Richards Sept. 1, 1936 2;2l9, 2f12 Efeterson 0st. 22-, 1940 2,243,655 Bila July 8-, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country I Date 513,435 Great Britain Oct. 12, 1939 

